TOBA TEK SINGH: Four women died and at least eight were injured when a truck laden with cement bags ran over a group of people walking by the roadside at Oddanwali Basti near Chak 427-JB, Aadaywal, on the Gojra-Jhang Road at night.

Rescue 1122 said the mehndi function of one Mansha Oadh, a resident of Chak 430-JB, Gojra, was taking place and a number of people were going to participate in it when the incident happened. They were crossing the road when the truck driver lost control of his vehicle due to speeding and it hit another truck coming from the opposite direction in an attempt to save the people before running them over. The Gojra-bound truck was coming from Jhang.

The incident left at least a dozen people injured, out of them four women died on impact while eight other persons were shifted to the Gojra Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.

The deceased women were identified as Asma Bibi (36) and Nisha Yousaf (11), residents of Chak 427-JB, Yasmin of Chak 430-JB and Nimra Ashraf (7) of Layyah. The eight wounded who were shifted to hospital included Farzana (22) and Yasmin (23), of Aadaywal Pul, Asim (13), Nasim Bibi (30) and Sana Aslam, of Jhang, Muhammad Hassan (12), Javed (24) and Rukhsana Bibi (11) of different villages.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2024